Three years ago I went over to my boyfriend’s apartment and discovered his roommate’s recently purchased DVD set of Batman: The Animated Series. I wouldn’t say it was the greatest day of my life, or even one of the greatest, but it was a pretty awesome afternoon.
The series was created in 1992, and eighteen years later the show is not only still relevant, but still draws fans from all generations. Who doesn’t appreciate a man in a bat suit punching evil geniuses in the face, after all? Though there are many more than five, here are the top reasons why Batman: The Animated Series is still socially relevant:
Reason 1: The Art
When animator Bruce Timm created the show’s designs, he drew heavily on the timeless, vaguely Art Deco inspired style of its recent predecessor, the 1989 Tim Burton Batman film. But Timm also gave Batman: The Animated Series a style that is all its own. He called it Dark Deco, because of the signature dark, bold look he was able to achieve by painting onto black paper instead of white. This made the series stand out from what other animators were doing at the time. Its style raised the bar for other animated series, as other producers started making darker, grittier looking shows.
Evidence: Perchance to Dream
Reason 2: Mark Hamill
After playing pop culture icon Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars trilogy, Mark Hamill traded in his light saber for a purple suit and white face paint. This famed actor provides the voice of Batman’s most notorious enemy, the Joker. It’s surprising, because Hamill’s Joker voice is completely different from the one he uses to play Luke Skywalker. The show’s producers helped him give the Joker a powerful, sinister presence by having him be the only actor to stand up while recording his lines.
Evidence: Joker’s Favor
Reason 3: The Stories
Despite heavy censorship, the show’s writers managed to create mature stories that appealed to children and adults as much in the early 90s as they do now. The episodes of Batman: The Animated Series deal with themes that are often considered too mature for children, such as terrorism, drug use, and mental illness. For children watching, this was often their first exposure to such adult concepts. People are still dealing with similar issues in 2010 and the insights that Batman: The Animates Series givees about them resonate with the world today.
The series also elevates its characters, making them complex personalities with deep motivations. In the Batman comic books Mr. Freeze was a one-dimensional mad scientist, but the animated series gave him a deeper, more tragic back story. In the episode “Heart of Ice” Mr. Freeze is introduced as a former Wayne Enterprises employee trying to get revenge on the man who killed his beloved wife. Many fans consider Heart of Ice the best episode in the series, and it even won its creators a Daytime Emmy award.
Evidence: Heart of Ice
Reason 4: Harley
In the episode “The Joker’s Favor,” the Joker needs a female minion, so the series’ writers create a character based off of actress Arleen Sorkin, who also performed the character’s voice. Originally meant as a throwaway character, Harley Quinn has become one of the most popular Batman villains. She became so well-loved that the Batman comic book series made her a recurring character and she is now one of the main characters in the comic series, “Gotham City Sirens.”
Evidence: Harlequinade
Reason 5: Batman
Batman is a very lucrative figure right now. The Dark Knight earned over one billion dollars world-wide and was nominated for eight Academy Awards. The most recent Batman video game, Arkham Asylum, holds the Guinness World Record for Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever. Batman still captivates the imaginations of his viewers, possibly because his story is so universal. He is a son trying to get revenge for his murdered parents and trying to maintain his humanity and sanity in the process. So start at the first episode, and watch your way through one of the most groundbreaking and surprisingly sophisticated series to air on American television.
Evidence: On Leather Wings
